Secret diaries of soldier who served in Burma are published

Sylvia Fox, 66, retired, said that Not Forgetting The 9th: The War Diary of Sgt. Cyril Grimes 1944-45 is a memorial to her father, Jim Harris, and his friend, Cyril, the author of the diaries.

She said: "My father used to tell me about Burma and when I asked questions, he would say 'It's all in Cyril Grimes' diary' but I'd never seen it.

"Obviously, they weren't suppose to keep a diary incase they got captured, but he did it in secret.

"Once they had both died, you have to wonder 'Do these diaries still exist?' I could live with knowing that they had been thrown away but couldn't live with not knowing. I contacted Cyril's family and they said that they still had them."

Sylvia said that the family wanted to read them first, but happily shared them with her to see and then re-print for others to enjoy and learn from.

"My dad's friend had an entry into the diary each day for the whole of 1945 and 1946. Even when he was fighting or under fire, he wrote something.

"I've cross-checked the dates and places with the official war diaries and it is all correct what he has written.

"It's engaging to read. He had even written a couple of poems in there and he was really literate."

Sylvia says that her father and his friend, Cyril, had jaundice at one stage and were sent to India to recuperate but Sylvia says that the diaries suggest that they were in a rush to get back to the front line.

She added that she wanted to share the diaries for others to read and added in photographs of her father, the 1st Earl Mountbatten of Burma and 'the Japanese army holding up their weapons at the end.'

Copies of the book, costing £11.99 can be purchased from timeBox press by emailing TimeBoxPress@gmail.com or call 077522 17847.

Victory over Japan Day was marked in Bournemouth and Poole with ceremonies attended by representatives from each respective town and across Dorset, church and armed forces associations, along with forces veterans.